Cotton-chopper.



Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 110., WASHINGTON, D. C.

FREDERICK METGAL-FE, 0F GREENVILLE, MISSISSIPPI.

COTTON-CHOPPER.

amazes.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NOV. 28, 1911.

Application filed November 22, 1910. Serial No. 593,688.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, FREDERICK METCALFE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greenville, in the county of Washington and State ofMississippi, have invented a new and useful Cotton-Chopper, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in cotton choppers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofcotton choppers and to provide a simple, efficient and comparativelyinexpensive machine of this character, designed for chopping or blockingcotton, beets, corn, and other drilled vegetation requiring earlycut-ting.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cotton chopper equippedwith a rotary cutter having a curved blade, adapted to cut beneath thesurface of the soil and utilize the forward movement of the ma-' chineto produce a shear cut in severing the plants.

WVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claimshereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ofthe claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a plan view of a cotton chopper,constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the rearportion of the front frame. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of therear frame. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of one side of the rear frame,illustrating the arrangement of the runners and the cultivator blades.Fig. 6 is a detail view of a curved blade adapted to--form a singlespace or opening at the periphery of the rotary cutter.

Like numerals of reference designate cor responding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, the cotton chopper comprises in its construction front andrear approximately rectangular frames 1 and 2, connected together by aclevis 3, which permits the rear frame to move both vertically andlaterally independently of the front frame. The front frame, which isprovided at opposite sides with bearings 4 for a transverse shaft oraxle 5, is composed of side bars 6, connected at their rear portions byspaced transverse bars 7 and 8, and having forwardly converging frontportions 9, secured to the rear end of a tongue 10. The terminals of the'front portions, which are arranged parallel at opposite-sides of thetongue, are secured to the same by clips 11 and a transverse bolt 12.The clips 11 are spaced apart, and the bolt pierces the terminals of thefront portions 9 at a point bet-ween the clips. The tongue is equippedwith a doubletree 13 carrying swingletrees 14, and connected with theside bars of the front frame by stay chains 15. The front ends of thechains 15 are secured to the end portions of the doubletree by eye bolts16, and the rear ends of the chains 15 are linked into openings 17 ofplates 18, which are mounted upon the bearings 4, being secured to thesame by the bolts 19. The machine is drawn by two horses, or other draftanimals, which are arranged at opposite sides of the row of plantsoperated on by the machine.

The transverse shaft or axle 5 is connected at its terminals withtraction wheels 20 by suitable clutches 21, which engage the shaft oraxle 5 during the forward rotation of the traction wheels and releasethe same when the traction wheels rotate rearwardly. The transverseshaft or axle is rotated only during the forward movement of themachine, and as any construction of clutch may be employed for thispurpose, detail illustration thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Motion'is communicated from the transverse shaft 5 to a horizontal frontsection 22 of a longitudinal shaft by a spur gear 23 and a spur pinion24. The gear wheel 23 is fixed to the transverse shaft, and it mesheswith the pinion, which is suitably secured to the front end ofthe'longitudinal shaft. The front section 22 of the longitudinal shaftis journaled in centrally arranged longitudinally alined bearings 25 and26 of the transverse'bars 7 and 8, and it is connected at its rear endby a knuckle joint 27 with a rearinclined section 28 of the longitudinalshaft. The knuckle joint permits vertical and lateral movement of therear inclined section of the longitudinal shaft to enable it to movewith the rear frame.

The rear frame is composed of spaced side bars 29, connected at theirrear ends by a transverse bar 30 and provided at their front ends withintegral forwardly converging portions 31, forming a tapered or V-shapedfront portion, which is arranged in the said clevis 3. The clevis 3,which is approxi mately U-shaped, is secured by a bolt 32 to a dependingcurved bar 33, secured to the rear ends of the side bars 29 and locatedbeneath the rear transverse bar 8. The clevis is centrally arranged andis located in the vertical plane of the flexible joint 27 of thelongitudinal shaft. The rear frame is located below the plane of thefront frame, and the bar 33, which is bowed downwardly, supports theclevis 3 in the plane of the rear frame. The rear frame is provided atits front portion with an arched transverse bar 34, secured to the sidebars 29 of the rear frame, which is equipped with front and rearbearings 35 and 36, mounted upon the arched bar 34 and upon the reartransverse bar 30, and receiving the rear inclined section 28 of thelongitudinal shaft. The rear frame is supported by curved runners 37,extending downwardly and rearwardly from the side bars of the frame 2 atpoints intermediate of the ends thereof, and provided at their terminalswith rearwardly extending shanks or attaching portions 38, fittedagainst the lower face of the side bars 29 and secured to the same byclips 39. The runners are provided at their upper portions withlaterally extending arms 40, proj ecting inwardly from the shanks 38 andoff setting the runners from the vertical planes of the side bars 29.

The rear section 28 of the flexible longitudinal shaft carries atransversely disposed rotary chopper or cutter, set at an inclinationand consisting of curved peripherally arranged blades 41, mounted upon arotary frame or wheel consisting of a hub 42, radial spokes 43 andspaced rim sections 44 to which the curved blade is detachably securedby bolts 45, or other suitable fastening devices. The frame of therotary chopper, which is set at an inclination, is adapted to receiveeither a pair of curved blades or a continuous curved blade 46. Thecurved blades 41, which arefitted against the outer faces of the rimsections, are spaced apart at their ends and provide opposite openingsor spaces at the periphery of the chopper, and the continuous blade 46provides a single space at the periphery of the chopper. The curvedblade is provided with a front cutting edge, and the rim sections andthe blade are cross sectionally inclined or set at an angle, the rotarycutter being tapered rearwardly, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2

of the drawings. The rotary cutter is arranged to out below the surfaceof the soil,

preferably about the depth of an inch, and

ting blade or blades and the relative size of the gears, the plants cutand the plants skipped may be varied, and the desired number of plantsmay be left standing the desired distance apart.

The rear frame is equipped with inclined handles 47, similar to thoseemployed on an ordinary plow. The lower ends of the handles are securedto the frame by means of metallic straps 48, bolted or otherwise securedto the front edges or faces of the handles and having angularly bentfront terminals, which are secured to the side bars 29 by the bolts 49,which fasten the ends of the arched bar 34 to the rear frame. Thehandles are supported at an intermediate point by braces 50, secured attheir upper ends to the outer faces of the handles and having outwardlybent lower terminals 51, which are bolted to the upper faces of the sidebars 29. The upper portions of the handles are also connected-by atransverse rod or rung 52, having threaded terminals piercing thehandles and provided with nuts arranged in pairs and engaging the innerand outer faces of the handles.

The front frame carries opposite harrow teeth 53, consisting ofdownwardly and rearwardly inclined rods, provided with lower pointedends, adapted to penetrate the soil and break up the crust and pulverizeat opposite sides of the plants. The upper portions 54 of the rods arethreaded and extend through openings 55 of clamps 56. The clamps, whichare approximately U-shaped, brace the rear transverse bar 8 and extendin advance of the same. The rods or teeth 53 pierce the front portionsof the sides of the clamps, and the nuts 55 are arranged to engage theupper and lower sides of the clamps, and are adapted to permit avertical adjustment of the rods and a lateral adjustment of the clamps.They enable the rods to be raised or lowered and adjusted toward andfrom each other so that they may operate the desired distance from theplants. The wheels of the front frame form rigid or unyielding supporting means for the same, so that when the rods or teeth 53 areadjusted, they will penetrate the soil at a uniform depth and will notbe affected by any upward or downward movement of the yieldably mountedrear frame. The rear frame is also equipped with cultivator blades 57,provided at their rear faces with longitudinal flanges 58, anddetachably secured to hangers or brackets 59 by bolts 60, or othersuitable fastening devices. The hangers or brackets are substantiallyL-shaped, and have upper horizontal portions, which are secured to thelower face of the rear transverse bar 30 by clips 61. The hangers orbrackets also have depending portions to which the flanges of thecultivator blades are secured. The cultivator blades are-reversible,being provided with similar tapered terminal engaging portions 62. Anyother desired form of cultivator blade or shovel may, however, beemployed. The cultivator shovels are adjustably mounted on the rearframe by the clips 61, and adapted to be moved toward and from eachother to arrange them the desired distance from the plants, and they maybe located either outside or inside the runners, which extend in rear ofthe rotary cutter. The runners yieldably suport the rear frame and areresilient to enable the frame to be readily depressed by the driver whendesired. The flexible longitudinal shaft and the flexible connectionbetween the front and rear frames afford the operator greater control ofthe cotton chopper, and enable the rotary chopper or cutter to beshifted laterally and to be raised and lowered to operate properly onthe plants of crooked rows,

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A machine of the class described including front and rear flexiblyconnected frames, traction wheels forming rigid sup-.

porting means for the front frame, a central longitudinal shaft composedof flexibly connected sections mounted on the front and rear frames,gearing connecting the longitudinal shaft with the traction wheels, arotary cotton chopper mounted on the longitudinal shaft and operatingwithin the rear frame, runners located at opposite sides of the cottonchopper and yieldably supporting the rear frame, soil engaging deviceslocated at opposite sides of the longitudinal shaft and carried by thefront frame and supported by the same to run at a uniform depth, andhandles connected with the rear frame for adjusting the same on therunners.

2. A machine of the class described including front and rear flexiblyconnected frames, traction wheels forming rigid supporting means for thefront frame, a central longitudinal shaft composed of flexibly connectedsections mounted on the front and rear frames, gearing connecting thelongitudinal shaft with the traction wheels, a rotary cotton choppermounted on the longitudinal shaft and operating within the rear frame,runners located at opposite sides of the cotton chopper and yieldablysupporting the rear frame, soil engaging devices located at oppositesides of the longitudinal shaft and supported by the front frame to runat a uniform depth and adjustable upwardly and downwardly to vary suchdepth, and handles connected with the rear frame for adjusting the sameon the runners.

3. A machine of the class described including front and rear framesarranged in different horizontal planes, the front frame being providedat the back with a pendant support, a clevis mounted on the pendantsupport and flexibly connecting the front and rear frames, wheelssupporting the front frame, a longitudinal shaft composed of flexiblyconnected front and rear sections mounted, respectively, on the frontand rear frames, the rear section of the longitudinal shaft beinginclined and supported above the plane of the rear frame, and a rotarychopper mounted on the rear section of the longitudinal shaft and set atan inclination, and gearing for communicating motion from the wheels tothe longitudinal shaft.

4:. A machine of the class described including front and rear framesarranged in different horizontal planes, the front frame being providedwith a pendant support, a clevis mounted on the pendant support andflexibly connecting the front and rear frames, wheels supporting thefront frame, a longitudinal shaft composed of flexibly connected frontand rear sections mounted, respectively, on the front and rear frames,the rear section of the longitudinal shaft being inclined, an archedmember mounted on the rear frame and supporting the front portion of therear inclined section of the longitudinal shaft, a rotary choppermounted on the rear sect-ion of the said shaft and arranged at aninclination, and gearing for communicating motion from the wheels to thefront section of the shaft.

5. A machine of the class described including front and rear framesarranged in different horizontal planes, the front frame being providedwith a depending downwardly bowed supporting member, a clevis mounted onthe supporting member and receiving the rear frame and forming aflexible connection between the said frames, a longitudinal shaftcomposed of front and rear flexibly connected sections mounted,respectively, on the front and rear frames, the rear section of theshaft being inclined, a rotary chopper mounted on the rear section ofthe shaft, wheels supporting the front frame, and gearing forcommunicating motion from the wheels to the front section of the shaft.

6. A machine of the class described including front and rear frames, therear frame being arranged in a horizontal plane below the front frameand having a tapered front portion, a support depending from the back ofthe front frame, a clevis mounted on the support and receiving thetapered portion of the rear frame and forming a flexible connectionbetween the frames, a flexible longitudinal shaft composed of front andrear sections mounted, respectively, on the front and rear frames, therear section being inclined and supported above the plane of the rearframe, wheels supporting the front frame, a rotary chopper mounted onthe rear section of the longitudinal shaft and set at an inclination,and gearing for communicating motion from the front wheels to thelongitudinal shaft.

7. A machine of the class described including an approximatelyrectangular front frame provided at the back with a depending downwardlybowed supporting member, a rear frame arranged in a horizontal planebelow that of the front frame, means for flexibly connecting the frontof the rear frame with the downwardly bowed supporting member, tractionWheels forming rigid supporting means for the front frame, an archedsupporting member mounted on the rear frame at the front portionthereof, a longitudinal shaft composed of flexibly connected front andrear sections, the front section being mounted on the front frame andthe rear section being supported at an inclination and in an elevatedposition above the rear frame by the said arched member, a rotary cottonchopper mounted on the rear section of the shaft, and gearing connectingthe front section with the traction wheels.

8. A machine of the class described including front and rear framesarranged in different longitudinal planes, the front frame beingprovided at the back with a pendant support, a clevis mounted on thependant support and flexibly connecting the front and rear frames,wheels supporting the front frame, a longitudinal shaft composed offlexibly connected sections mounted, respectively, on the front and rearframes, the rear section of the longitudinal shaft being inclined andsupported above the plane of the rear frame, a rotary cotton choppermounted on the rear section of the longitudinal shaft and set at aninclination, runners located at opposite sides of the rotary cottonchopper and yieldably supporting the rear frame, and gearing forcommunicating motion from the Wheels to the longitudinal shaft.

9. A machine of the class described including front and rear flexiblycoupled frames, traction wheels forming rigid supporting means for thefront frame, a central longitudinal shaft composed of flexibly connectedsections mounted on the front and rear frames, gearing connecting thelongitudinal shaft with the traction wheels, a rotary cotton choppermounted on the longitudinal shaft and operating within the rear frame,runners located at opposite sides of the cotton chopper and yieldablysupporting the rear frame, handles connected with the rear frame, harrowteeth located in advance of the cotton chopper and mounted on the frontframe at opposite sides of the longitudinal shaft and supported by thefront frame to run at a uniform depth, and cultivator blades carried bythe rear frame and located in rear of the cotton chopper.

10. A machine of the class described including front and rear flexiblycoupled frames, traction wheels forming rigid supporting means for thefront frame, a central longitudinal shaft composed of flexibly connectedsections mounted on the front and rear frames, gearing connecting thelongitudinal shaft with the traction wheels, a rotary cotton choppermounted on the longitudinal shaft and operating within the rear frame,runners located at opposite sides of the cotton chopper and yieldablysupporting the rear frame, handles connected with the rear frame, andinclined rods located in advance of the cotton chopper and arranged atopposite sides of the front frame and supported by the same to penetratethe soil at a uniform depth.

11. A machine of the class described including front and rear flexiblycoupled frames, traction wheels forming rigid supporting means for thefront frame, a central longitudinal shaft composed of flexibly connectedsections mounted on the front and rear frames, gearing connecting thelongitudinal shaft with the traction wheels, a rotary cotton choppermounted on the longitudinal shaft and operating within the rear frame,runners located at opposite sides of the cotton chopper and yieldablysupporting the rear frame, handles connected with the rear frame,inclined rods located in advance of the cotton chopper and arranged atopposite sides of the longitudinal shaft, and clamps mounted on thefront frame securing the rods to the same and provided with means forpermitting vertical and lateral adjustment of the said rods.

12. A machine of the class described including front and rear flexiblyconnected frames, wheels forming rigid supporting means for the frontframe, a rotary chopper mounted on the rear frame, gearing forcommunicating motion from the wheels to the rotary chopper, said gearinghaving a flexible connection to permit movement of the rear frame, rodsfixed to the front frame at opposite sides thereof and arranged topenetrate the soil, runners yieldably supporting the rear frame andlocated at opposite sides of the chopper, hangers adjustably mounted onthe rear frame and located in rear of the rotary chopper, and cultivatorblades secured to the hangers and located at the outer sides of therunners.

13. A machine of the class described including front and rear flexiblyconnected frames, wheels forming rigid supporting means for the frontframe, runners located at opposite sides of the rear frame and curveddownwardly and rearwardly from the same and provided at their upper endswith shanks secured to the rear frame, said runners yieldably supportingthe rear frame and being also provided adjacent to the shanks withlaterally projecting arms oifsetting the runners from the verticalplanes of the sides of the rear frame, chopping mechanism mounted on therear frame and operating between the runners, and gearing forcommunicating motion from the wheels of the front frame to the choppingmechanism.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own,'I have heretoaflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK METGALFE.

Witnesses:

J. F. MooRn, W. F. FORDHAM.

Copies of Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

